Interracial Jazz Recording (#56): Charlie Creath and Sonny Lee

Charles Cyril "Charlie" Creath, born in 1890 in Ironton, Missouri was a multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. He started out in circus and theatre bands in the early 1900's. Sources give different dates, but sometime in the early 1920's, he began to lead bands on Steckfus riverboats out of St. Louis and continued doing that for a number of years.

He was a good musician, especially on trumpet and an entrepreneur, who had several bands operating under his name, if not his direct leadership. His Jazz-O-Maniacs recorded for the Okeh 800 race series in St. Louis. Illness slowed him down, but in the late 1930's, he ran a nightclub in Chicago and played with local groups until his 1951 death. 

Sonny Lee

Charlie Creath

                                                

   

Sonny Lee was from Texas and played with Peck Kelley before moving to St Louis, where he played with Frankie Trumbauer, Gene Rodemich and several other bands. He could play lead and solo and had a long career with top-level bands, recording most often with Jimmy Dorsey.

"Grandpa's Spells" is one of Jelly Roll Morton's most well-known and catchy tunes. Creath plays a strong statement of the melody before the rest of the group comes in with New Orleans polyphony. Willian Thornton Blue plays nice clarinet and Sonny Lee makes a solo trombone contribution. Hamilton is knocking out a solid rhythm on piano with Lonnie Johnson on guitar and Zutty Singleton (who married one of Creath's sisters) on drums.

Charles Creath (tp) Sonny Lee (tb) Horace Eubanks, William Thornton Blue (cl,as) William Rollins (ts) Cranston Hamilton (p) Pete Patterson (bj) Zutty Singleton (d) Lonnie Johnson (vcl-1,g-1). St. Louis, c. November 3, 1925. 

• Market Street stomp- Okeh 8280,Philips 436005, Swag (Aus)1301, Par (E)PMC1166; 
• Won’t don’t blues (1)- Okeh 8280, Jazum 8; 
• Way down in lover’s lane- Okeh 8257, Philips 436005; 
• Grandpa’s spells- Timeless (Du)CBC1-027 [CD]. Note: All above titles also on Parlophone (E)PMC7157, Timeless (Du)CBC1-036 [CD], Frog (E)DGF83 [CD].

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow. Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”

Interracial Jazz Recording (#55) Pinkard-Yellen-Moore-King

I'm spotlighting a tune written by the interracial writing team of Jack Yellen (lyrics) and Maceo Pinkard (music). Yellen wrote the words for "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Ain't She Sweet." Pinkard wrote a number of tunes, including "Sweet Georgia Brown," the history of which I write about here. 

The song "I'm Satisfied" comes from another great session with Bill Moore. It features some of the same personel we've seen before (Stan King and Adrian Rollini) and some new-Bobby Davis on alto and clarinet and Tommy Feline on banjo. 

Maceo Pinkard

                                    

Moore is solid on lead and on his solo, as is Bobby Davis. Brodsky is a stalwart on piano, as always. In the background, we hear Rollini scatting, then giving us the goofus. Stan King blows some satifying kazoo. There's a lot of nice variety in the arrangement.

Bailey’s Dixie Dudes-Bill Moore (c), Bobby Davis (as/cl), Irving Brodsky (p), Tommy Felline (bjo), Stan King (d/kazoo), and Adrian Rollini (goofus). New York, October 1, 1924.

• Eliza- Gennett 5562;
• I’m Satisfied- Gnt 5577, St 9596
• I want to see my Tennessee- Gnt 5562

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow. Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”

Interracial Jazz Recording (#54) Wingy Manone and Dicky Wells

This session are under the leadership of trumpeter Joe 'Wingy' Manone. Manone was a Sicilian from New Orleans, who acquired his nickname because he lost an arm in a streetcar accident at age 10. He had a decent prosthesis, which allowed him to play without too much distraction on his part or the part of the audience. Wingy didn't have a great range, but he swung like crazy.

Wingy Manone

  
  

Dicky Wells

Like his pal Louis Prima, Wingy did a lot of vocals. He also wrote and collaborated on writing a number of tunes, including "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)" with Miff Mole, "Tar Paper Stomp," "Tailgate Ramble" with Johnny Mercer, "Stop the War (The Cats Are Killin' Themselves)," "Trying to Stop My Crying," "Swing Out" with Ben Pollack and "Nickel in the Slot" with Irving Mills.

"In The Slot" is a very swinging side. Artie Shaw does a lot of nice obligatti on clarinet. He's followed by Dicky Wells doing the kind of solo that he would be bringing to the Basie band. Then, Bud Freeman blows in his singular style. Wingy follows with a propulsive solo and brings the tune home.

Wingy Manone and His Orchestra: Wingy Manone, t / Dicky Wells, tb /Artie Shaw, cl / Bud Freeman, ts / Jelly Roll Morton or Teddy Wilson as shown, p / Frank Victor, g / John Kirby, sb / Kaiser Marshall, d. New York, August 15, 1934.

• Easy Like– pTW- Merritt 6 (LP);
• In The Slot– pTW- Merritt 6 (LP);
• Never Had No Lovin’– pJRM- Merritt 6 (LP);
• Never Had No Lovin’– pJRM- SE 5011-S, B-15632-A;
• I’m Alone Without You– pJRM- SE 5011-S

All entries are from my book “As Long as They Can Blow. Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935.”